Iraqi forces are trained and ready for the fight to retake Mosul, and are just awaiting the go ahead from Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi. US and coalition forces have trained enough Iraqi troops for the battle against ISIS, and it is just a political decision now of when to begin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford said at ASC16. US and coalition forces, especially airpower, will be ready to provide support for the fight. “We have gained momentum,” Dunford said at ASC16. Iraqi forces are closing in on the city of Mosul, taking 12 nearby villages this week, Iraqi officials told Voice of America. Dunford and other officials have said the fight for Mosul could begin next month, though now politics are driving the decision-making, he said.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.